Kalshi And Polymarket Take Early Lead In NFL Prediction Markets
Highlights
- Kalshi recorded $983.4 million in NFL trading volume during the first six days of Week 1.
- Combined activity across prediction markets reached record levels as Kalshi and Polymarket dominated the opening week.
Kalshi and Polymarket have taken an early lead among prediction-market operators following the opening week of the 2026 NFL regular season.
Kalshi recorded approximately $983.4 million in NFL trading volume during the first six days of Week 1, according to DeFi Rate data. Polymarket also recorded strong activity as prediction markets experienced significant growth around NFL events.
Overall prediction-market trading volume reached approximately $15.9 billion during the week, according to Bank of America data, representing a 16% increase from the previous week.
Kalshi maintained a substantial market-share lead during the week, although its share declined to 82% from 86% a week earlier.
Polymarket, meanwhile, recorded strong growth in app downloads. The platform reported 762,000 downloads during the period, representing a significant weekly increase and placing it ahead of several major competitors in the category.
Other operators also recorded notable increases in activity. DraftKings and Underdog experienced triple-digit weekly growth, while Polymarket, Crypto.com and Novig also reported substantial gains.
The opening week demonstrates the growing level of activity around sports-related prediction markets as operators compete for users and trading volume during major sporting events.
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